Roomba Error Codes | All Roomba error A to Z solution

Roomba robotic vacuums give handy cleaning but they can get hung up and will need maintenance.

Roomba will speak you something is wrong with a two-tone “uh-oh” sound followed by a series of beeps or a narrated voice. Read our article to determine what the message is meant to be, this ultimate Roomba troubleshooting & repair guideline also be helpful for you. Error messages can be repeated by pressing the bumper or the CLEAN button.

In this Roomba troubleshooting guide, you will learn how to troubleshoot your Roomba including error codes, charging and battery issues, sensor fixes, and diagnostic mode.

Over recent years, iRobot has altered some of the error code layouts depending on the model. We’ve done our best to gather this information in our guide, but it’s always a good idea to check the iRobot site for your specific model or error code.

Different models of Roomba have little bit different behaviors when it comes to showing the error codes: some just beep, some announce the error inappropriate words. But fortunately, the error codes themselves are mostly the same between the different models.

The following table is a list of common errors that correspond with the number of beeps or narrated audio problem. Newer models, like the Roomba 980 and Roomba 805, should also speak you the same problem.

Indicators

Models

Likely Cause

What to Check

Possible Fixes

1 beep or says “Error one (1).”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

Roomba has a side wheel hanging down or Roomba is stuck

Side Wheels

Clean debris that may be trapped in the wheel

2 beep or says “Error two (2).”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The main brushes cannot turn

Main Brushes

Clean Brushes

5 beep or says “Error five (5).”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

A side wheel is stuck

Side Wheels

Clean Side Wheels

6 beep or says “Error six (6).”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The cliff sensors are grimy, Roomba is affixed, is hanging over a cliff, otherwise is on a dark surface.

Cliff Sensors

Wipe the cliff sensors with a clean, soft and dry cloth

Roomba: Error 8

800, 900

The motor is having problems spinning or the filter is clogged

Filter

Clean Filter

9 beeps or says “Error nine (9).”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The bumper is compressed or the bumper sensor is dirty

Bumper

Clean Bumper

Says “Error ten (10).”

500, 600, 700, 800

A side wheel is tangled or its bumper cant recognize obstacles

Side Wheels

Clean Side Wheels

Roomba error 11

800, 900

Bin is not Functioning Properly

Bin

You may need a replacement AeroForce™ bin.

Roomba error 14

600, 700, 800

Confirm that the bin is installed correctly

Bin

Wipe the bin contacts on both the bin and robot with a clean, dry and soft cloth

Ensure there were no changes to the environment during the cleaning cycle

Roomba error 18

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

Roomba cannot return to the Home Base

Charging Contacts

Ensure the Home Base did not get unplugged, moved, or rotated during the cleaning cycle

11 beeps with no voice message

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The bumper can’t recognize the obstacle. Roomba may be stuck in one place

Bumper

Tap the bumper to confirm it is working correctly. If this error occurs when Roomba is circling, clean the wheels of hair, dirt, and debris. If Roomba is in a very wide room, use a Virtual Wall to create a smaller cleaning portion

4-beep or speaks “Please charge Roomba.”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The battery is completely discharged

Battery

Charge your Roomba. If you are experiencing short runtime

Roomba says “Please examine and clean Roomba’s cliff sensors.”

500, 600, 700, 800, 900

The cliff sensors are grimy, Roomba is tangled, hanging over a cliff, or is on a quite dark surface

Cleaning Errors

1 Beep / Error 1: Roomba Get Stuck

The Error code number may be the most common problem, and probably because of this iRobot made it the first error.

The Roomba narrates “Error one (1): Move Roomba to a new location then press CLEAN to start.” This usually occurs, due to the Roomba getting stuck or a side wheel hanging or fails to touch the ground.

Other Roomba models might just beep and show the numeral 1 on the unit display screen. This error message doesn’t tell you specifically what’s really going on, but it’s easy enough to fix.

How to Fix: Turn the Roomba over and check the side wheels for obstructions, clear any clogged hair or debris and Push by hand the wheels up and down to make sure they can retract and extend freely. Ensure that each wheel exhibits the same amount of resistance. Finally, place your Roomba back in the middle of the room and press clean to check if the error has been solved.

“No Voice” or 1 Beep Error (Only Roomba 700 and 800 Series)

Be sure that the dustbin is properly placed back in the Roomba.

2 Beeps / Error 2: The Extractors Cannot Turn

The Roomba says “Error 2: Something must be clogged in the brush rollers if you’re getting this error message. Open Roomba’s brush cage and clean brushes properly and check to make sure there’s no hair or pet fur wrapped around them. Hair is preventing the brushes from spinning properly. You might also find little bits of yarn from your carpet caught up in the brush rollers.

How to Fix: Untangled the hair by following the instructions in this i-Robot official video:

Tip: It is rather boring to clean the brushes on the older Roomba models. Newer Roomba models like the 860 and 960 have replaced the old styles brushes with a bristle-less-rollers, making Roomba maintenance much easier.

5 Beeps / Error 5: Side Wheel

The Roomba will say “Error 5: Spin Roomba’s side wheels to clean.” This error notifies that one of the wheels is stuck, which may be due to a blockage to one of the wheels.

How to fix: Clean any hair and debris out of the wheels and test that the wheels can rotate freely.

6 Beeps / Error 6: Cliff Sensor Errors

The Roomba announces “Error 6”: When you see this error, you might discover it teetering on the edge of the stairs. Rapidly move Roomba to another place then press CLEAN to restart. This occurs in one of the mentioned situations:

The cliff sensors may be dirty.

Roomba is clogged on the side of a cliff.

Affix on a dark surface (which looks like a cliff to the Roomba).

How to fix: Wipe the cliff sensors with a soft and dry cloth blast it with compressed air, then just remove the Roomba to a new location and press CLEAN to restart it.

7 Beeps / Error 7: One of the side wheels is stuck.

You’ll receive this error code if the side wheels get something clogged in them. Clear any blockage you find. If dirt got clogged up among the wheels and the chassis. Moreover, you might want to use a regular vacuum cleaner to scrape out whatever got jammed in there. Some users reported that the compressed air will also do the task of cleaning out the wheels.

How to Fix: Check them for blockage, clear the blockage, and push the wheels up and down to loosen any dirt and debris. By hand turn the wheels to make sure they spin freely.

9 Beeps / Error 9: Bumpers Error

The Roomba will say “Error 9: Tap Roomba’s bumpers to clean.” This occurs when the bumpers sensors are grimy or the area between the Roomba unit and the bumpers is dirty.

Head over to your Roomba and check to confirm that it didn’t get itself obstruct against the wall. In most cases, this occurs if it tried to go behind a piece of furniture and now needs to be rescued. If the bumper got jammed, then you can usually free the mechanism with a bit of gentle motion with a soft hand.

How to fix: Press on the bumper several times to detach any dirt and make sure it is able to come back into place. If this does not solve the error, you may need to clean the place between the bumpers and the Roomba unit. This will remove any debris and also clean the bumper sensors.

10 Beeps / Error 10: A Side Wheel is Stuck… Again?

The Wi-Fi connected iRobot Roomba 600 and 800 series narrates “Error ten (10). Spin Roomba’s side wheels to clean. Please open the iRobot HOME App for help.”

Select models will sound a two-tone “Uh-Oh” sound according to 10 beeps.

iRobot defines error code 10 as referring to a condition where a side wheel is stuck or the bumper is not recognizing obstacles, but you can commonly treat it the way you treat code five errors. On some Roomba models, this error can also come up if your bumper got clogged.

Go through the usual motions of cleaning both the wheels and bumpers to confirm they can spin freely. If this error keeps coming up no matter what you do, then it could indicate that the wheel or bumper sensors have worn out and need to be replaced.

How to fix: If the iRobot Roomba get clogged somewhere, normally move it to another place and press and hold CLEAN to reset it. In a different way, check that the side wheels have no blockages which obstructing them from spinning. Push the wheels in and out to remove any debris, and turn the wheels by hand to make sure that they are not clogged on something (e.g. electric cable, hair).

This error could also come off if you have an extremely large, open area in your home with very few materials. To solve this, use Virtual Walls to divide the large area into several smaller portions.

11 Beeps / Error 11

“Error 11” is, in summary, the same error as Error 10.

4 Tone empty Battery Sound

“Please charge the Roomba”.

How to Fix: Fully charge the Roomba. Also, follow these steps to lengthen the life of the battery:

Recharge the Roomba as soon as possible after every single use. If your Roomba has the auto-docking option, this will happen automatically. Always try not to leave the Roomba discharged after every vacuuming.

Use the Roomba daily. The batteries are manufactured to be discharged and recharged over and over, so use it often.

Keep the docking base plugged in and the Roomba plugged into the dock when not in use.

If you won’t be using the Roomba for any reason more than a few days, take off the battery and keep it somewhere dry and cool.

Roomba: Error 16

How to Fix: Error 16 means Roomba is not able to start cleaning because it is laid. Move Roomba to a level surface then press CLEAN to restart. Don’t uplift the robot when pressing the CLEAN button. If Roomba says this message on a level surface, reboot the robot.

Press down CLEAN button for 10 seconds until all the indicators illuminate completely. When you release the button, you will hear a series of sounds.

Press and release CLEAN button once, then wait minimum five seconds.

Press CLEAN to start a new cleaning job.

If you use the scheduling option, start the iRobot HOME App after restarting to confirm that the schedule remains untouched.

Roomba: Error 17

How to Fix: Error 17 means Roomba cannot complete and has canceled its current cleaning job.

Ensure there were no changes to the position during the cleaning cycle (i.e. closed door, moved stuff).

It is possible for iRobot Roomba to run over transitions, like doorway thresholds, that it cannot run over again to leave the place. For this reason, you may need to use Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barriers to section off these grounds to the cleaning job.

Ensure the home has enough light for Roomba to navigate. Very dark rooms could fuzzy the iAdapt® localization camera and cause problems with navigation and coverage.

Extra clutter could help to this error. Clear crowdy areas or use Dual Mode Virtual Wall® Barriers to restrict off problem areas.

Confirm the camera is clean of any dust or debris. Wipe the clear window on the top rear using a microfiber or soft dry cotton cloth that has been dampened with normal water or a glass cleaning formula.

Turn on the Roomba over and use a clean, dry microfiber or soft cotton cloth to wipe any dirt and debris that has collected in the round iAdapt® Floor Tracking Sensor opening on the right side of the bottom side. Do not spray cleaning formula directly into the sensor opening.

If the message displays, try moving your Home Base to another place and start Roomba from the Home Base.

Roomba: Error 18

How to Fix: Error 18 means Roomba cannot come back to the Home Base® or starting position.

Look the Home Base and charging contacts:

Confirm that the Home Base did not get disconnected during the cleaning cycle.

The charging connections on Both the Home Base and Roomba should be a wipe of dust or debris. Use a microfiber or clean soft dry cotton cloth to remove any dirt or debris that may have attached. The power indicator on the Home Base will flash when Roomba is charging.

Ensure there is no chaos around the Home Base.

Ensure there are no extra objects (e.g., stickers, tape, or paint, cable, hair) on the bumper or on the Home Base.

Please check if Roomba can recognize the Home Base. Test the room lockup sensor.

If Roomba is not opening on a Home Base, confirm that there is no blockage in front of the starting point. This will prevent Roomba from being able to come back to the genuine starting position when the cleaning cycle is complete.

“Please Inspect and Clean Roomba’s Cliff Sensors”

Almost similar to error 6, the cliff sensors may need to be cleaned or replaced. Wipe the cliff sensors with a damp and soft cloth to clean them. You can see error 6 above for details.

“Please Inspect and Clean Roomba’s Wheels”

One of the side wheels is may be clogged. Make sure there is no blockage preventing the side wheels from rotating. Press the wheels in and out to remove any debris, and turn the wheels by hand to make sure that they are not stuck on hair or dust balls. See Error 10 for details.

“Please Remove and Clean Roomba’s Brushes”

The spinning brushes are unable to spin. This is commonly due to something like hair or cable getting stuck in the brushes. Take off the spinning brushes or rollers underneath the, clear it of any blockage, then put the brushes back in exact place. In the future, do this regularly before the error occurs to ensure a long lasting for your Roomba. If you find this slow, the newer, brush-less Roomba models are less prone to having hair get stuck to them.

Roomba come back to the charging Dock Too Early with Full Battery Charge

Make sure that the battery is not low. The battery indicator on the Roomba unit will illuminate green if fully charged.

Reset the iRobot Roomba:

Roomba 500 and 600

Press down and hold the SPOT and DOCK buttons together for on an average 10 seconds.

Roomba 700 and 800

Press down and hold the CLEAN button for on an average 10 seconds, may the unit will display “RST”.

After resetting, Roomba will need to reprogram the time, date, and also the cleaning schedule.

Final Sentences

A well- nursed iRobot Roomba can save your ton of hours because it cleans when you’re not at home. This arsenal needs accurate maintenance and care to keep on tooling around your house.

If you ever hear anything harassed, then make sure to check the drive wheels right away. You might want to give your Roomba a proper dusting each week to obstruct error codes from coming up in the first place.

Keeping an air duster or a pump nearby will ensure you’re always able to clean out anything that clogged it up. Always make sure to answer any Roomba error codes as soon as they come up and your Roomba should last for years to come.

Who am I: I am a Home Improvement Specialist, Cleaning Expert, Product Reviewer. Why I write: To write a blog that broadens readers’ horizons and offer new solutions they can apply to their home. Who I write for: My family, my friends, my neighbors, myself, and most importantly you. Where do I write? homeplix.com, a blog solely focused on giving away home improvements suggestions.

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